Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[math ace]

Quote:
I really don't mind taking the risk on shipped eggs as long as the price isn't CRAZY. I see some of these auctions go for $100 plus and I just FREAK. . . It isn't that the stock isn't worth it! It is the uncertainity of what the post office will do to the eggs. I think BEFORE I paid $100 for eggs, I would ask the person to hatch them and then I would pay for extra shipping.

I just got some 3 to 4 week old chicks from Texas. The shipping (EXPRESS) was just under $50 for 11 chicks. Typically, you pay $15 for shipping on eggs. . . The difference being $35. . . If the eggs are $100, I think the extra $35 shipping is good insurance that you receive the product you wanted.

Shipping of Day olds is even cheaper . . . .

I just can not justify the risk with EXPENSIVE hatching eggs - - - CHEAPER EGGS SIGN ME UP and SHIP AWAY!

 

[pinkchick]

Morning Everyone! I appreciate you all more than you know!

Math~ I am very very sad to hear that! I will definately ship you more eggs. I cracked under pressure after reading your post and candled CP's eggs and not one of the BLRW are viable

, can't see anything in the Marans or Wellie egg so I left them all in, they all looked to have good air cells. I will candle my eggs that I set for hatch along with you in just a little bit and will tell you how they are doing. So many hugs coming your way....and out of the six that are good I hope everyone of them is a pullet.

STEVE~ Congratulations Mr. !!!!!! Great first hatch! Very excited for you and yes I cruised over by the Wellie thread and they are all girls! I wonder how that happened you lucky lucky man!

As for the toe issue.....this is the first crooked toe that has hatched that I have been made aware of....I have no clue why it is turned....does this chick also have very short outer toes? I did have a little chick that hatched this time with very short outer toes and heavily feathered and one chick that had splayed leg but she has been hobbled now for a few days and is running around and playing without a hitch with the rest of the chickies. This is the very first Marans that I have ever hatched that had a leg problem. The chick with the outer toes is the 3rd one that has hatched out of the Davis birds.....I kept both of the older chicks with shorter outer toes and now upon 2 mos old and the other one 1 month old...but appear to have normal length outer toes with no issues...but they do have the street sweeper effect going on with the shank feathering.
Ohhh, almost forgot.....from time to time I get a clean shanked bird from Gnarles' pen where all birds are feather legged with the exception of Bill's big blue dtr that is in there, I don't think you got any of her eggs from that pen, did you? You did get some of Bill's blue dtr's with feather legs eggs from Bill's pen though. Those should have been the rosy looking eggs....did any of those hatch?

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:

OMGosh! 111 degrees?!?!?!?!?! Holy Moly and we are still pipping and hatching....WOW is all I can say.

Congrats on the chickies!

 

[Debbi]

Quote:

OMGosh! 111 degrees?!?!?!?!?! Holy Moly and we are still pipping and hatching....WOW is all I can say.

Congrats on the chickies!

Maybe that's the key to getting the slow pokes out of the shell??

Wow is right! Tannis, we need pics you know..

 

[flgardengirl]

I definitely need to get a wheelbarrow. I used 5 gal buckets and dump them into a large trash container and then use the handtruck to haul out to the compost heap. Ummm I'm getting buff doing that LOL! I'd much rather use a wheelbarrow. Most of my run gates are too narrow to get it up to the coop though since they are dog kennel type fencing with the double narrow gates. So will still have to use 5 gal buckets from coop to barrow.

Yep I think its almost cheaper to just order chicks if you are getting into the expensive eggs. I have a pure black hen with feathered shanks (not bcm pure black) that I can use for birchens I hope my only hatched one is a roo!! Gawd did I just say that?

 

[pinkchick]

Debbi~

I'm hangin' in there! Today seems to be a little better because I finally convinced everyone in my house that if the TV gets turned on to CNN or World News on more time and I hear it....that I am going to decommission the TV....they must have believed me because I haven't heard or seen the news in 24 hours now and you don't know how much that has helped.

I am sorry about the Splash chick Debbi.....I know you sooooo wanted one. I could send you eggs only from Bill's coop if you want them sometime, just let me know.
Glad to hear that the other chicks are doing well. I've got to get in touch with Mel and have him come get his chicks that just hatched...cause Pink needs the room for more babies hatching today and tomorrow and then more next week. My 'bator will be cooking non stop as of now through April. Crazy!!!!!! That's alot's of chicks!

 

[Debbi]

Just sitting here sipping my coffee, when I hear a commotion outside! The pecking order has been changed, violently I might add. Fugs is out of the gene pool. Poor old guy, he is a free range bug eater now. The two "dark boys" are now in charge of the flock. Pip will be joining Fugs in the free range world as well today. I can already see he will be the next to get picked on, even though I have never seen him breed a pullet yet. Too much testosterone here!

 

[flgardengirl]

I have a splash roo you can have

He is a terd and has a side sprig though lolol. He has started attacking the feed can everytime I fill up his feeder. Then spills everything. Every.... single..... time...!!! LIttle s%$T

 

[Debbi]

Pink ~ I know what you mean about the "news" overload, it is just so overwhelming these days. Was the same for me after 9/11, all I could do was cry for weeks, and I am not a crier. Had to turn off the TV so I wasn't constantly being bombarded by the pics and stories. It did help a bit.

 

[Debbi]

Quote:
Ha! No thanks

It already looks like Roo-R-Us here! Will have to start building more pens myself I guess, the builders sure aren't getting the job with their quote of 6 grand!!!

Yes, this wheelbarrow should be a big help to me. It's a construction type, and has 2 wheels. It measures 32" across the widest part, and luckily, my gate is 42" wide

Should have the coop cleaned out with maybe 10 loads or less?? Wishful thinking???